Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley criticized big tech CEOs as a “modern-day aristocracy” during a Wednesday night appearance on Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”
Twitter’s Jack Dorsey, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and others appeared Tuesday before the Senate Commerce Committee to answer questions about the censorship of the New York Post’s reporting on Hunter Buden.
Fireworks from the proceedings included Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz harshly criticizing Dorsey for stating that such censorship does not impact elections, a clip of which Fox News host Tucker Carlson played before introducing Hawley.
“What did we learn today?” Tucker asked.
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“Well, we learned that the tech companies are gonna keep doing this,” Hawley responded. “They’re gonna keep censoring conservatives. They’re gonna keep putting their thumb on the scales for the Biden campaign as long as Congress lets them.”
In calling for Congress to remove the “special immunity” granted to them as publishers, the Missouri senator stressed that the big tech companies are “totally unrepentant” and will keep censoring conservatives as long as “they think they can get away with it.”
“Don’t you think it’s bad for kids to become billionaires?” Carlson asked. “Is it healthy to live in a society where a tiny group of completely out of touch crazy people have power over what the rest of us can say?”
“Well, you know if you want to know what it’s like to live in an aristocracy just open your eyes, this is it,” said Hawley. “Where one tiny group of, in Jack Dorsey’s case, really weird people control what we’re allowed to say, what we’re allowed to share, who’s allowed to report on what. It’s just absolutely ludicrous.”
Hawley called it a “modern-day aristocracy” that will continue “until Congress stops it,” but ended the segment by lamenting that Congress “isn’t focused on doing anything” on the issue. (RELATED: ‘I Will Not Tolerate Any Beard-Shaming’: Jack Dorsey’s Quarantine Look Steals The Show At Tech Hearing)
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act grants internet companies immunity from being sued for content posted on their sites by users.